<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>You Make It Hard To Regret by Afoolforatook</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24991498">You Make It Hard To Regret</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Afoolforatook/pseuds/Afoolforatook'>Afoolforatook</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>An Anthology of Affection [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Kiss, M/M, No Beta, Qrow scares Clover for once, Qrow's injured</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:13:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,424</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24991498</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Afoolforatook/pseuds/Afoolforatook</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Qrow knows feelings are complicated. </p><p>He knows how happy Clover makes him. </p><p>He knows how guilty he feels for that. </p><p>In rare moments, he lets things be simple. </p><p>Leaves the complicated parts for later.</p><p>--------------------------<br/>Part 3</p><p>Saw a post of kissing prompts. Liked a bunch of them. Decided to give myself a daily challenge to get myself actually publishing things while I work on bigger projects.</p><p>One prompt a day. Under 1500 words (or close to it).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>An Anthology of Affection [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805008</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>72</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>You Make It Hard To Regret</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Prompt 3 - A breathy demand: “Kiss me” - and what the other person does to respond.</p><p>You Make It Hard To Regret</p><p>---------</p><p>Qrow opened his eyes to see Clover hovering over him, sitting on the edge of the bed, reaching behind his head to adjust a pillow.</p><p>Clover froze when he noticed his partner watching him. He pulled back, surprised, but smiling widely.</p><p>“Good morning! How’re you feeling?” He asked, watching Qrow carefully as he sat up in bed, wincing slightly.</p><p>“Like I got hit by a megoliath.” Qrow groaned, before a dulled flash of pain ripped through his side and he gasped, hand flying up to feel a heavy dressing. His surroundings were finally registering then. Stark blank walls, steady beeping machinery. He was in the infirmary.</p><p> </p><p>Clover had settled back beside him again and was still smiling, but Qrow could see the last bits of fear that had yet to fade from his eyes.</p><p>“Ha. Yeah… more like slightly gored by a sabyr? You’ve been laid up for a little while.” He tried to infuse his words with some levity, to hide just how threadbare he now was after the last two days. He jumped back in as he saw panic flash across Qrow’s face. “The kids are all fine! Everyone’s fine. You just missed the girls. I managed to convince them to go get some rest and let me take over.” As if he hadn’t been there every second since the previous morning.</p><p>Qrow nodded, relaxing back into the pillows. His head was slowly coming out of a fog. “What happened? I mean… I remember the sabyr, but…”</p><p>“I got split from the rest of the ops during a fight out by the breach in the wall. Nothing too bad, but Vine had gotten hit pretty hard and I’d sent him back to the base with Marrow. Harriet and Elm took off after the last grimm and I stayed to make sure everything was clear at the breach. You radioed in that you were coming to meet me and I was about to tell you not to bother but then… I still don’t know where it came from… A sabyr snuck up on me and tackled me. I held on to Kingfisher but it took a serious hit and the reel jammed. I stood my own for a bit and then suddenly you were there... “ He chuckled.</p><p>“I’m always glad to see you, Qrow, but right then I could’ve kissed you.” He threw Qrow his usual teasing wink, starting to explain how a bit of rubble had given way under Qrow and knocked him off balance enough for the sabyr to land a blow.</p><p> </p><p>But Qrow cut him off before he could finish.</p><p>“What’s stopping you?” Qrow asked, completely genuine. His head had cleared considerably, but even he was a little surprised that he actually said the words out loud.</p><p> </p><p>“I-... Sorry?” Clover stopped mid-sentence, eyes wide. A sudden flush bursting over his cheeks.</p><p>That expression nudged Qrow on, past his anxieties. He hurt all over. He was exhausted. But he knew right then that he wanted Clover’s teasing to finally lead to something. He wanted to, just for a moment, easily reciprocate.</p><p>“What’s stopping you? From kissing me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Clover laughed awkwardly, face burning even brighter, sure that Qrow was just spurred on by painkillers and giving Clover a taste of his own medicine.</p><p>“Right, touche. Now’s not the time for teasing… I’ll let you rest.” Clover started to stand and turn to leave. Even facing away from him, Clover could feel Qrow watching him. There was a depth to Qrow’s gaze on him that he had no idea what to do with. For all his flirting and teasing, in this instant, in this situation, Clover’s confidence had melted away at Qrow’s first hint of encouragement.</p><p> </p><p>Qrow’s hand stopped him, grabbing his wrist lightly and tugging him back towards the bed. He didn’t speak, nor let go, until Clover turned to face him again. Reluctantly, Clover did so.</p><p>He felt his breath rip from his chest and his knees buckle, forcing him to sit once more on the edge of the bed, at the look in Qrow’s eyes. At the determination, the longing, the sadness he saw there. This wasn’t teasing or drug-fueled loss of inhibitions. This was… This was acceptance.</p><p>“Clover.” Qrow’s voice was husky, barely a whisper, like he didn’t trust himself to speak louder. Like he couldn’t trust anyone but Clover with the words that sat heavy in his lungs.</p><p>“Qrow… you… you’ve had a rough day… I should… you need to…” Clover broke the overwhelming eye contact, watching Qrow’s fingers flex around his wrist, the slightest tremor breaking through his solid guise.</p><p> </p><p>“Clover… kiss me.” There was no hesitation. No tremble there.</p><p>“Qrow, I don’t think…”</p><p>“Please, Clover. Kiss me?”</p><p>And Clover was done in. His shoulders dropped, eyes softening, as he sighed and faced Qrow again. Slowly, delicately, he reached up to push a strand of hair from Qrow’s face.</p><p>“That’s cheating. Saying please like that. I can’t say no to you.”</p><p> </p><p>He finally met those rusty eyes again, so warm and smooth and breathtaking. Clover leaned forward, his left hand propping him up as he cupped Qrow’s neck gently. His touch was soft, cautious.</p><p>More cautious than Qrow wanted. But his body was too heavy and sore to do anything about it. Instead, his fingers just held tight their grip on Clover’s wrist, his other hand curling gently in the side of his vest as Clover closed the gap between them. Clover’s breath was warm, slow, against his lips, his thumb pulling over Qrow’s cheek reverently. The pressure was grounding; heavy and careful and mindnumbing all at once. Qrow hummed against his lips, still wanting to deepen the contact, but the energy evaded him.</p><p>Clover didn’t appease him though. He was consciously careful with him. Qrow could feel the stiffness in his movements even as he felt a simultaneous electricity in them. Clover was acting as if he were handling something fragile, and it pissed Qrow off immensely that, at that moment, he couldn’t even argue with that.</p><p>Everything hurt. Except for the gentle weight against his lips.</p><p> </p><p>Qrow froze as he felt something else there too, a cool damp finding it's way between them. He opened his eyes and his chest seized as he saw the tears on Clover’s cheeks.</p><p>He pulled away, hand leaving Clover’s wrist to brush away a fresh tear. “Clover…”</p><p>Clover caught the concern in Qrow's look and laughed, sniffling, not letting go of his face. He watched him for a moment before carefully shifting, resting his forehead against the shoulder opposite Qrow’s injury. He suddenly felt very heavy himself. Exhausted. The full relief of Qrow's return to consciousness washing over him all at once. Not to mention the unexpected culmination of the tension they'd let gather between them in every glance and smirk.</p><p>“You scared me there, birdy.” He decided to give up trying to hide the waiver in his voice. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, Clover.”</p><p>Qrow stared at the younger man pressed to his side. His partner. His friend. His... His first kiss that truly meant something in a very long time. The warmth that had flooded his mind stilled at the pain in Clover's voice. At the knowledge that he'd caused that fear. A fear he knew too well. A fear he knew he wouldn't be able to ever truly erase.</p><p>He could feel the panic bristle at the back of his mind, and he was grateful that the medication dulling his pain would help stave off those racing thoughts for a little while longer. But the guilt still managed to sneak in. The doubt.</p><p>But Clover's pressure at his side was a tether. As much as he wanted to deny himself that comfort, he couldn't bring himself to regret his request at that moment.</p><p> </p><p>Clover watched Qrow silently, knowing the conflict he was trying to evade. “You’re worth being scared, Qrow.”  He laid a small kiss along the edge of his jaw, still careful in his motions not to jostle his injury. </p><p> </p><p>Qrow smiled despite himself, leaning his head against the top of Clover's, feeling the soothing ebb and flow of his breath beside him. </p><p> </p><p>No. He knew it would come later, that later he'd have to face it, have to explain it all.</p><p>But right that moment? No.</p><p> </p><p>He couldn't regret that simple request. For now he let himself have just this. Just them.</p><p>"Thank you, Clover."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Still kinda meh on this one, the theme and pace and everything all seemed to keep getting away from me.<br/>These really do just turn into little rewrites of Loving scenes/themes sometimes....oops..</p><p>---------------</p><p>There were 50 prompts originally, but I've already thought of a few more. Also had multiple ideas for a few, which is why some might be listed as chapter 1, with a future version of the prompt coming later.</p><p>Might not end up sticking strictly to the daily thing, but I'll do my best. Either way, here's an ongoing series of little moments.</p><p>Original prompt list - https://kashimalin-fanfiction.tumblr.com/post/178524845380/50-types-of-kisses-writing-prompts</p><p>Might edit here and there later, but the goal here was to just finish something, even if it's not perfectly polished.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>